To increase fuel cell power output, individual fuel cells are typically assembled in a stack, one above another, with each fuel cell in the stack having an associated system for supplying fuel and oxidizing gases to the cell, for recovering spent gases and for drawing off electrical power. Generally, the number of fuel cells disposed in the stack determines the stack voltage; i.e., a high stack achieves a high total stack voltage. Of course, there are physical and practical constraints on the height of a fuel cell stack. For example, in aircraft applications, a fuel cell stack must be compact to optimize use of the limited fuselage space with increased voltages achieved by using additional fuel cell stacks. Of course, this increases the complexity of the piping and electrical systems, increasing space requirements. Consequently, a compact fuel cell stack which provides high voltage continues to be pursued in the industry.